About Me

When we started working on finishing our house, I realized we weren't going to be able to take care of the paving on our own. Instead of trying to haul in concrete and hope for the best, I hired a professional paving contractor to come out and help. They were incredible to work with. They listened carefully to our requests, and then they started laying the concrete and leveling the surface. Within a few hours, we had a driveway and front sidewalk that looked incredible. This blog is all about the benefits of working with paving contractors, and understanding the problems you might come up against if you do things on your own.

Tags

Search

How To Use Cold-Formula Crack Filler

If you have a patch of asphalt with a few cracks, it is probably smart to fix them as soon as possible. The longer you leave the cracks alone, the more likely it is that they will grow and lead to cracks that will become more expensive and more time consuming to fix. It is always smart to fix them as soon as possible and save yourself some money in the long run. Best of all, fixing small cracks is simple because you can use premixed crack filler. This article explains how you can use cold-formula crack patch to fix your asphalt.

Using Cold-Formula Asphalt Patch

Using a cold-formula patch (or crack filler) is definitely the most convenient route. If you use a hot-formula filler, you need a portable stove or heating device. You need to keep the patch at a consistently hot temperature while applying it, so there can obviously be logistical issues. Cold formulas are usually pre-mixed, and they can basically be poured directly onto the damaged area. If you have a lot of larger cracks to fill, you can find powder mixtures. These are much cheaper than the premixed liquids. You just need to add water and mix it up to create the patch.

Applying the Patch

No matter what type of patch you use, you need to do some prep work before beginning the job. First, thoroughly sweep the top of the asphalt so it is clean. Then, you need to clean out the crack. Pull any weeds or grass growing out of the crack. But, you don't need to remove all of the dirt inside the crack. In fact, you might want to fill some of the crack in with dirt. If your crack is super deep, you will waste a lot of patch trying to fill it up. By using sand instead, you can save money. For the best result, use a broom to sweep the sand inside the crack and try to make it equally deep along the entire crack.

You can then pour the filler directly into the crack. Make sure you pour until it overflows. Then, use a squeegee or putty knife to scrape the excess and press it flat onto the asphalt. You might need to wait for the patch to dry and settle and then pour some more.

This is a simple job so you should do it ASAP and save yourself some time in the long run. If you need assistance with filling the cracks in your asphalt, contact a company like Gopher State Sealcoat.